Jobs/Fellowships/IPIOP Clerkships

The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) is a leading privacy and civil liberties organization, based in Washington, D.C., working to protect the public interest and to promote the Public Voice in decisions concerning the future of the Internet. EPIC pursues public interest litigation, conducts public education, testifies in Congress, organizes conferences, coordinates grassroots advocacy, and publishes books, reports, and an online newsletter. EPIC also maintains several well-regarded Web sites, such as privacy.org, thepublicvoice.org, and privacycoalition.org.

We welcome applications for jobs, fellowships, and clerkships. Please see the listings below for current openings and application deadlines.

EPIC is an equal opportunity employer. EPIC strongly encourages women, people of color, and underrepresented populations to apply for positions at EPIC.

Jobs

Fellowships

2019 EPIC Law Fellowship

EPIC invites outstanding applications for the 2019 EPIC Law Fellowship. EPIC encourages applications from law students graduating in 2019, recent graduates, and judicial clerks.

The EPIC Law Fellow will fill an integral role in EPIC's Washington, DC office. The Fellow will work on various EPIC Projects in areas such as Administrative Law, Appellate Advocacy, Consumer Privacy, International Privacy, Open Government, and State Policy. Creative, highly motivated, and accomplished law school graduates are encouraged to apply.

The EPIC Law Fellowship is a one-year position to begin September 2019, with the possibility of renewal for a second year.

The EPIC Law Fellow will receive an annual salary of $56,000. EPIC provides all employees with a comprehensive benefits package.

EPIC would also be pleased to serve as a host organization for recent law graduates that have obtained funding from their law schools. EPIC is happy to work with applicants to obtain funding from their respective law schools or foundations.

How to Apply

Applicants should prepare a cover letter, resume, unofficial law school transcript, and writing sample. The writing sample should be legal in nature (brief, memorandum, or research paper) and should be the applicant's own work, not a collaborative piece or something heavily edited by someone else. Please send the complete document, not an excerpt.

Letters of recommendation are welcome and encouraged, not to exceed more than two. Applications to be submitted via email should be sent to fellowship@epic.org with the subject line "EPIC Law Fellowship."

Applicants should contact EPIC describing their interests. Applicants should be aware of the outside funder organization's deadline, and that it takes time for EPIC to evaluate and work with a candidate to develop a quality proposal. The earlier candidates contact EPIC with their proposal, the stronger the proposal can be developed.

EPIC Scholar in Residence Program

2019 EPIC Scholar in Residence

EPIC invites outstanding applications for the 2019 EPIC Scholar in Residence Program. EPIC encourages applications from post-graduates in law, public policy, and computer science. Terminal degree must be either a J.D. or Ph.D. Mid-career experts in the data protection field are also welcome to apply.

The EPIC Scholar in Residence will provide a unique opportunity to pursue work at one of the leading privacy research centers in the world. EPIC routinely advises Congress, courts, and international organizations about emerging privacy and civil liberties issues. EPIC also litigates significant privacy cases in federal and state courts. The EPIC Library contains several thousand volumes on privacy and related fields, as well as Congressional materials on the development and enactment of US privacy law. EPIC also has an extensive collection of documents, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, concerning government surveillance, monitoring and related programs. The EPIC staff has broad expertise in privacy, from national security and domestic surveillance to consumer protection, student privacy, data protection, and international law. EPIC routinely meets with outside experts, including leading government officials in Washington, DC. EPIC is actively engaged in many of the most significant issues and provides a vibrant intellectual setting for those interested in privacy and data protection.

The EPIC Scholar in Residence will be encouraged to participate in the work of EPIC, to meet with outside experts, and to conduct research and writing at EPIC. The expectation is that the individual will produce substantial published work.

Compensation

The EPIC Scholar in Residence will receive a stipend of $30,000, a work space, and access to EPIC’s Library and research materials.

Duration

The typical period for the Scholar in Residence will be a single semester, though longer or shorter periods may be considered.

Experience and qualifications

J.D. and/or Ph.D.

Prior publications

Specific interest in the work of EPIC

Journal experience, such as law review, preferred but not required

How to Apply

Applicants for the EPIC Scholar in Residence Program should provide a cover letter, resume, two letters of recommendation, and examples of prior publications. Applications to be submitted via email should be sent to fellowship@epic.org with the subject line "EPIC Scholar in Residence." Letters should be addressed to EPIC President Marc Rotenberg.

Internet Public Interest Opportunities Program (IPIOP) Clerkships

Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
Washington, DC

Note: The Summer 2019 IPIOP program is full. We are no longer accepting applications at this time.

The EPIC Internet Public Interest Opportunities Program (IPIOP) is an intensive legal internship with EPIC that is held during the summer, fall, and spring terms. IPIOP seeks outstanding law students interested in public interest issues related to the Internet to spend a summer or a semester at the EPIC office in Washington, DC.

Description: Learn about the legislative process, public interest litigation, the Freedom of Information Act, online activism, and emerging Internet issues.

The IPIOP Program gives law students the opportunity to actively participate in valuable programs in Internet law, policy, and legislation. IPIOP clerks also attend weekly seminars led by eminent scholars and practitioners in the field of Internet policy. The goal of the program is to provide opportunities for clerks to experience first-hand the new and exciting intersection between Internet law and public policy.

Washington, D.C. provides an ideal location for an introduction to Internet law and policy. IPIOP clerks attend agency proceedings, policy meetings, Congressional hearings, and visit many landmarks in the Nation's Capital.

Legislation: IPIOP clerks research and draft memoranda on critical issues before Congress, and attend hearings. Clerks learn about the legislative process, which is the critical opportunity for public interest organizations to make a case directly to lawmakers, to engage in discussion about the details of proposed legislation, and to establish connections with critical committees and decision makers.

Government Oversight: The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a powerful tool for public interest organizations to learn about otherwise inscrutable governmental activities and to promote public oversight. Each IPIOP clerk researches, drafts, and submits a FOIA request on a controversial issue to one of many governmental agencies. Clerks also assist in litigating pending FOIA matters.

Collaboration: IPIOP works in association with public interest litigators and law school clinics across the country. A distinguished Advisory Committee oversees the work of IPIOP.

Qualifications: Energy, enthusiasm, and creativity. Currently enrolled in law school. (Students enrolled in non-US schools are welcome to apply.) Excellent writing and communication skills. Strong interest in civil liberties issues relating to the Internet, particularly free speech, privacy, open government, and democratic governance.

Application: Submit a letter of interest, resume, writing sample, law school transcripts, and three references as a combined PDF to ipiop@epic.org. Please use the email subject line "EPIC IPIOP Clerkship" and indicate semester or summer, e.g., "Fall 2019," "Spring 2019," or "Summer 2019."

Application deadlines:

Spring Semester (typically for an internship from Jan through April or May): September 1 - November 15

Summer (typically for an internship from May through July or August): November 1 - February 22

Fall Semester (typically for an internship from August or Sept through Dec): April 15 - July 15

Applications will be evaluated as they are received. You are encouraged to apply early, as we will be accepting on a rolling basis.

Compensation: Law schools routinely fund IPIOP clerkships. Upon law school approval, IPIOP clerks may also receive course credit for their time spent with EPIC. EPIC is happy to work with applicants to obtain funding from their respective law schools.